Seven best places to savour autumn in Scotland

TRAVEL writer Robin McKelvie tells us where best to visit to enjoy autumn in Scotland.

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I'VE been to New England in the Fall – but for me nothing tops Scotland in autumn.

Settle in now for an explosion of fiery reds, burning oranges and smouldering yellows as I share the best places to savour autumn in Scotland.

1. Hermitage

Not for nothing is Perthshire known as ‘Big Tree Country’ and it is a great place to enjoy a fiesta of autumnal colours. I love the National Trust for Scotland’s Hermitage. Park up and follow the River Brann along to the Black Linn waterfall and you can enjoy a wonderland alive with trees from all over the world.

Many shed their leaves and put on a spectacular colour show unlike the evergreen Nordic pines that dot much of Scotland. You are in good company here as Wordsworth, Queen Victoria, Mendelssohn and Turner are all said to have enjoyed strolling amongst this inspirational landscape, a landscape that looks its best at this time of year.

2. Trossachs

The Trossachs for me are a sort of ‘Highlands in Miniature’, a handy hilly playground on the fringes of the Central Belt that offers a little slice of wilderness for those without the time to head deeper north into the Highlands proper.

Unlike much of the barren Highlands, though, this is a landscape alive with trees. So you get the full smorgasbord of autumnal colours here, which you can enjoy on a drive or cycle from Callander to Aberfoyle on the legendary Duke’s Pass.

I prefer getting up one of the local hills to take in the view and really feel like you are immersed in the landscape.

3. Tweed Valley

The new Borders Railway offers a spectacular new way of getting deep into the heart of the rolling Borders countryside that was so beloved of seminal Scottish writer Sir Water Scott.

The epicentre of the scenery for me is the Tweed Valley. The mighty salmon rich River Tweed curls its way through the Borders market towns in search of the North Sea, taking in a swathe of forest and woodland as it goes.

Many of the trees are deciduous and put on a fiery show in autumn. One of the best places to take it all in is, fittingly, at Scott’s View. I prefer a loftier vantage point atop the Eildon Hills on the fringes of Melrose.

4. Argyll Forest Park

The Argyll Forest Park is a wildly beautiful escape awash with forests, hills and sea lochs. It was founded in 1935, making it Britain’s oldest Forest Park.

The Highland Boundary Fault runs right through the park meaning that it rarely fails to be anything other than utterly scenic. The scenery really comes into its own when many of its trees explode in all their autumnal glory.

5. Arran

The isles can be a glorious place to be during autumn and none more so than Arran. Its northern flank is very much a Highland landscape and it comes with a thick cloak of trees. One of my favourite autumn memories is sitting with a herd of deer in Lochranza watching a basking shark ease around the bay with a backdrop of leaves burning in red, yellow and gold.

6. Galloway Forest Park

In southern Scotland lies the massive 5,268 square kilometre Galloway Forest Park, a great place to escape to at this time of year.

There are swathes of forests to explore, with a trio of handy visitor centres, which offer information on the local walking trails and the mountain bike routes too. This is one of the finest spots in the UK for stargazing too (the park is home to Scotland’s first Dark Skies Park) after you’ve enjoyed an autumnal sunset.

7. Enchanted Forest

Man gives nature a bit of a seasonal helping hand here in the heart of Highland Perthshire. This spectacular annual sound and vision show really is a showstopper I’d recommend to anyone, but it really stands out as a great experience for families.